🔄 Resetting your System Management Controller (SMC)

When should you reset your SMC?

SMC is responsible for many functions in a Mac; so it’s worth resetting whenever you find your computer’s hardware behaving in unexpected ways. Here’s a list of the main symptoms that you need to reset the SMC:

• The battery or status lights behave strangely
• The keyboard backlight doesn’t work properly
• Your MacBook doesn’t turn on when you open it
• The power adapter light doesn’t reflect what it’s doing
• The fan is running at an abnormally high rate, especially under low load
• The trackpad doesn’t work
• Your computer won’t connect to Wi-Fi
• Target display mode switches on or off unexpectedly
• App icons bounce for an extended period of time when opening
• Your computer runs slowly, even under low CPU load
• Your computer shuts down slowly

To reset the SMC on a MacBook with the Apple T2 Security Chip (models from 2018 or later):

1. Shut down your Mac.
2. Press and hold the power button for 10 seconds, then restart.
3. If that doesn’t fix the problem, turn the Mac off again.
4. Press and hold the right Shift key, the left Option key, and the left Control key for seven seconds.
5. Keep these keys pressed while you press and hold the Power button for seven seconds.
6. Release all the keys and wait a few seconds. Now restart your MacBook.

To reset the SMC on a MacBook with a non-removable battery (mostly pre-2018):

1. Shut down your Mac.
2. Press and hold Shift, Control, and Option on the left side of the keyboard. Now press and hold the Power button (or Touch ID button) as well.
3. Hold all the keys down for 10 seconds.
4. Release all the keys and turn on your MacBook.

To reset the SMC on an older MacBook with a removable battery (mostly pre-2015):

1. Shut down your Mac.
2. Remove the battery.
3. Press and hold the power button for five seconds.
4. Reconnect the battery and turn on your MacBook.